Alternate treatments and open problems

Abstract

The topic on which Kynch’s theory is based, quasilinear hyperbolic differential equations, is now mathematically mature, so this is an appropriate time to write a comprehensive analysis of the subject. In presenting what we hope will be the definitive work on Kynch’s theory for ideal thickeners, we have incorporated these post-Kynch developments. We have also carefully noted the underlying assumptions of the theory and placed it in its proper context as a special case of the theory of mixtures. It is clear that these assumptions are very restrictive and that many other possibilities can be exploited within this theory. We illustrated one of these possibilities in Chapters 3, 9 and 10.